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How to Teach Yourself Anything in Less Than Three Months

Self-education can be wonderful and frustrating at the same time.If you go about it correctly, you can teach yourself anything in just a few months.Poorly applied, however, self-education can be a stressful nightmare.I’d like to share my tips to achieve the former and avoid the latter.

My self-education has been fairly extensive. I taught myself how to program computers, create graphics (3-D and 2-D), how to design web pages and blog.I learned the basics of chemistry on my own in the fifth grade and read through several books on physics and evolutionary biology before any formal training.And, although I have no memory of this, my parents also inform me that I had taught myself to read before going to school.

Self-education is good for just about any branch of knowledge or skills you want to acquire.Here are just a few starter points of abilities you might want to pick up:

Learn a new language.

Teach yourself a branch of mathematics or science.

Learn to cook.

Master a new sport.

Be able to run a business and manage effectively.

Speak in public.

Train your communication and persuasion skills.

etc.

Learning something in only three months takes a bit more than casual trial-and-error. Here’s what I’ve found to be crucial in making self-education work:

Know the end.What should you be able to do, achieve or know after learning?My best efforts at self-education have always had specific applications.The more precise the requirements of my knowledge, the faster I could learn.Do you just want to speak Spanish, or be 95% fluent in a basic conversation?

Buy a How-To. Internet articles and scattered resources can help, but a solid foundation is far superior.There are hundreds of how-to books on every skill and branch of knowledge.Books can give you a foundation that trial-and-error cannot.

Identify prerequisites.Programming requires basic math.Blogging requires basic computer, writing and marketing skills.Basketball requires ball handling and movement skills.Know what background skills you need before you start, so you can pick them up before or while you try to master your skill.

Deadlines determine time investment.If you want to learn something in three months, that can mean an hour a week or several hours a day depending on the discipline.Your deadlines determine how much time you need to invest.

Patience is a Virtue. Self-education isn’t more difficult than classroom learning. But it can be harder when you reach a dead-end and don’t have a guide.Your ability to educate yourself will match closely with your ability to keep trying when you want to give up.

Back to basics.Any skill is based on a few core understandings or abilities.Huge algorithms are based on simple programming concepts such as loops and variables.Cooking is based on simple techniques like grilling or broiling.Any dance is based on a core pattern of steps.Master the basics and learning advanced skills becomes easy.

Aim to fail.Experiment enough so your failure rate is high.It is easy to stumble into handling the same challenges repeatedly, but these don’t teach you anything new.Add new elements to each practice so your learning curve doesn’t flatten out.

The 15 Minute Rule.If you get stuck on something promise to give yourself another fifteen minutes of complete focus.If you can’t solve your problem by that point, take a short break.Giving yourself less than fifteen minutes means you lack the persistence necessary to learn.But creating space between yourself and a problem can renew your creative energies towards solving it.

What’s the point?Necessity is the best teacher out there.If you don’t need to learn something, it is going to be tricky to push through frustration points.By making self-education a built-in part of your goals, you’re driven to learn out of more than random curiosity.I taught myself HTML, PHP and graphic design programs out of a need to complete other projects.

Forums are your friend.Just as there is a how-to book on everything, there is a forum about any skill you want to learn.If your searches turn up nothing, write a friendly request for ideas to solve your problem.I’ve found online forums to be a lifesaver if I get stuck.

Flex your networking muscles.Immerse yourself in groups of people who have the skills you want.Although you can’t learn through osmosis, being in the presence of smart people will direct you towards the information you need.Forums are also a good place to start, but joining clubs and groups in person is even better.

Leave Mt.Everest to the climbers.Don’t try to tackle the biggest challenge possible your first time. Pick tasks that are difficult, but possible given your current understanding.Trying to program 100,000 lines of code as your third program is too ambitious to be useful.

Avoid burnout.Self-education requires a lot of energy and emotional will.It is easy to burn yourself out on a problem and be unable to complete it.Avoid this by giving yourself space when you’re stuck.Don’t give up, but don’t burnout trying to solve a difficult problem.

Project oriented learning.Projects can be a big driving force for learning.Most of my current skills I obtained through projects.Setting a three-month project such as writing a novel or designing a small computer program can give you the structure needed to learn.

25 Responses to “How to Teach Yourself Anything in Less Than Three Months”

I can’t figure out if any of these items will help me, because I have no solid idea what my problem is. I’ve been trying to teach myself Japanese for the past seven years or so. I literally have a huge box full of textbooks (hand-me-downs) that I’ve barely ever touched. I can read the kana and translate basic sentences, but I have absolutely no grasp of how the language really works.

It’s one of the big anchors around my neck, that I’ve failed so dismally to teach myself, but I get the feeling I’d fail even if I was taking a class.

I’ve always been a self-educator myself. My high school didn’t teach calculus, so I taught it to myself. And I had a pretty good liberal education before I got to college. it really paid off. Good timing for this post–I just posted Building a Solid Foundation yesterday.

I find I’m a fan of project oriented learning – or given a specific need to learn something new. Meaning – “learn how to cook” is too vague, but if it’s “cook enchiladas” then it becomes more focused and I can learn specific skills. Great list!

I relate to number 9. I taught myself how to use Quark because I needed to learn it in order to complete other projects. The same happened with HTML and CSS. I think I’m at that point where I’m ready to hand over the reign’s to a professor. I talked with an acquantance who taught herself CSS/HTML/javascript and took a web design class to solidify her skills. I’m taking that same route as well, not only with web design but other skills I’m working on (just not all at the same time).

I also try to immerse myself with whatever I’m learning. I’m also learning Japanese, and I just happened to enjoy the music, shows, movies, and the culture in general, so I use those things as part of learning. And with learning web design, I read the best blogs and books on the subject. If I get stuck on something I usually have a resource I can go to for help (a friend, an expert, forum, book, etc)

Those are some great motivators to keep learning on your own. It’s very difficult to keep your head in the game at times, but this list points out sound advice to keep in the right direction. It seems like now, than ever before, self-learning seems like a major tool to get ahead of the rest of the pack.

Throughout the school year, do in general, teach your self the material from books, or rely on lectures, or do you advance ahead and keep learning on your on since you may be ahead of the material being taught?

[…] How to Teach Yourself Anything in Less Than Three Months – “If you go about it correctly, you can teach yourself anything in just a few months. Poorly applied, however, self-education can be a stressful nightmare.” […]

I love this post! I am currently playing with the idea of teaching myself about concepts and approaches for good design. It will range from interiors to fashion, while delving into topics like composition and color theory. This blog has provided me with a practical understanding. Thanks for the focus!

[…] good one-stop reading on skill acquisition is Scott Young’s article on learning a skill in three months. While the timeframe of many skill acquisition goals will be longer than that, the principles still […]

[…] good one-stop reading on skill acquisition is Scott Young’s article on learning a skill in three months. While the timeframe of many skill acquisition goals will be longer than that, the principles still […]

[…] good one-stop reading on skill acquisition is Scott Young’s article on learning a skill in three months. While the timeframe of many skill acquisition goals will be longer than that, the principles still […]

I think I’ve kind of experienced all of the above-said points in wanting to teach myself to self-study college subjects. The same goes with just in general how I learn best -is by being interested in something enough to be patient with all the steps it takes to fully learn it. I think this might also come from all the piano lessons I took in my childhood. Anyway, I think your post has some insights that I might want to apply:)

[…] are social animals, so a lot of our motivation comes from our interactions with other people. Finding a support group can provide you with the motivation you need to power through with your goal of learning a new […]

[…] how to design websites, code, or write worthwhile blog entries on my first try? Not even close! Get accustomed to the idea of failure from day one. Learn from your mistakes and use that as a motivator to become […]

My mind is a blank slate i never even complete elementry school i can read very well thats far as my knowledge i cannot understand basic maths i forget everything i ever learned in scool my dream of becoming a nurse was just that a dream did i mention im 55 i dont think their much hope for me i just had to get this off my mind dont even know who im telling this to

Debate is fine, flaming is not. Pretend that this comment form is a discussion taking place in my house. That means I enjoy constructive criticism and polite suggestions. Personal attacks, insults and all-purpose nastiness will be removed especially if it is directed at other readers.